March 29, 2018 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

November 4 - 11, 2015

March 29 — April 4, 2018

— See Theater Spotlight on pg. 6

Vol. 84 No. 34 www.spokesman-recorder.com

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KIDS TAKE THE LEAD

Local protesters join nationwide call for action against gun violence

By Keith Schubert Staff Writer

T

housands of young people marched through the streets of St. Paul on Saturday as part of a nationwide protest against gun violence.

After the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD) in Parkland, Florida, students of the school began organizing March for Our Lives, which grew into over 800 events worldwide.

At the St. Paul protest, students, lawmakers, and antigun violence advocates spoke at the event and urged the crowd

Protesters swarmed the streets of downtown St. Paul en route to the Capitol.

Photo by Chris Juhn

Capri plans reclaim and expand its presence in North Minneapolis

to continue to fight for stronger gun control laws and better school safety measures.

The St. Paul Police estimated nearly 18,000 people showed up at the State Capitol, while the Minnesota State Patrol stated the number was closer to 20,000.

The crowd size for March for Our Lives has been compared to the estimated 100,000 protesters who attended the Women’s March in St. Paul last January.

A small but vocal group of people attended the protest under the banner Black Truce, a St. Paul nonprofit founded by Darnella Wade. The mission

Local student photographer inspired by D.C. gun control rally experience

By Sheletta Brundidge Contributing Writer Over 200,000 students gathered in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, March 24 to protest the lack of gun control in the U.S. ■ See LocaL on page 8 More than a march, the event was a movement that was driven, organized, and orchestrated by a group of fearless leaders who just happen to be in their teens. As the Bible says, “a child shall lead them…”

The March for Our Lives event was prompted by the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that left 17 people dead earlier this year.

The rally featured speeches from students who were at school at the time of the shooting.

The Minneapolis participants marched for at least five hours. Organizers say the mobilization Photos by Azhae’la Hanson of the students since the shoot-

ing should serve as a wake-up call for elected officials to create stricter gun laws.

A group of Minneapolis youth from North High, Patrick Henry and Park Center High Schools joined fellow students in our nation’s capital for the historic event.

Azhae’la Hanson, a 17-yearold senior at North High, and budding photojournalist, joined the march. Hanson, along with about a dozen other students who’ve dubbed themselves Northside Students United, marched, held signs, and chanted in an effort to shine a spotlight on the importance of school safety.

Not only did Hanson attend the march, she used her camera ■ See D.c. on page 8

Northside’s ecoNomic eNgiNe is revviNg up

Thor also will launch its new Multi-cultural Innovation Lab for Entrepreneurship (MILE). “Entrepreneurship is a greater tool in eliminating disparities in jobs. [It] brings together an industry that is focused on developing entrepreneurship and individual wealth and health in our community,” the

By Dwight Hobbes Kevin D. West, noted stage vice president said. and film actor and artistic asContributing Writer Metro Transit’s new C Line rapid bus sociate at Capri Theater addtransit is scheduled to begin service in 2019, It’s been a long time coming, ed, “We’ll have an opportunity and will replace Route 19 connecting downnearly two decades, but the highto continue to be a hub for young town Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center, ly anticipated renovation of compeople to come and be in a safe running primarily on Penn Avenue and Olmunity cornerstone the Capri space and express themselves, to son Memorial Highway.

Theater is in the offing. The plan see people that look like them, to “We will start that work at Penn and Plymis to construct an addition to the learn, [and] to grow to be positive, outh Avenue[s],” then move down to Penn Plymouth Christian Youth Cencontributing members of not onand Lowry sometime in April or early May, ter site at 2210 Oliver Ave. North ly the community but society as Metro Transit C Line Community Outreach in Minneapolis. The construca whole.”

D’Angelos Svenkeson interacting with the community and Engagement Karyssa Jackson said last tion would expand across two As of early February, $5.2 milCourtesy of THOR companies Facebook page week in an MSR phone interview. adjacent city-owned lots that lion was raised solely on the “I think folk are really excited about the C were leveled when a tornado toBy Charles Hallman strength of individuals, and vision evolved, we wanted to put our money Line project itself,” Jackson said of the March re through the neighborhood in foundation and corporate do- Senior Staff Writer where our mouth was around economic and 22 informational meeting at UROC. She 2011.

The Penn Avenue-Plymouth Avenue community development. and around 15 other Metro Transit, City of “As the company grew from just being a Minneapolis and Hennepin County officials quadrant is two-thirds close to completion.

Thor Companies’ $36 million headquarters construction company to now Thor Com- provided an overview of the C Line project, on the southeast corner of Plymouth and panies…we wanted to be in the communi- its construction timeline and answered Penn recently had a “topping off” ceremony, ty and demonstrate that it can be done with questions, which was attended by 75-80 Vice-President of Development and Invest- private sector leadership,” Svenkeson continment D’Angelos Svenkeson told the MSR ued.

■ See NorthsiDe on page 8 last week.

The 92,000-square-foot retail and office complex and a 620-stall parking facility is in its final construction phase: Target Corporation, MEDA and Build Wealth Minnesota, which specializes in homebuyer loans and credit repair services, are among the anchor tenants. Hennepin County will lease Photo courtesy of the Capri Theater the building’s fourth floor for office space, as well, Svenkeson noted. nations. Plymouth Christian The complex fills a corner that’s been vaThe projected $9.5 million imYouth Center Executive Director cant since the late 1980s. Directly across the provements will increase the Anne Long stated, “We are look- street from Thor is the new Estes Funertheater to twice its size of 13,000 ing for continued contributions al Chapel now under construction. After square feet by adding a green … [and] are working on various the two new structures are completed, the room, rehearsal space, classroom government sources.” Long not- planned NorthPoint Health & Wellness Cenand community hall. “With the ed that although fundraising ef- ter expansion will begin. [new] space,” said James Scott, forts aren’t “quite there yet,” the Thor’s presence will help kick-start a new director of Capri Theater, “we’ll board is committed to making it “economic engine” on the Northside, Svenkbe able to continue to work with happen. eson stressed. “This is a project being dokids and at the same time…serve “We’re getting there for sure,” ne by people of the community,” he said of the community. Right now those confirmed Long. She said this Thor founder and Northside native, Richard two things are in conflict for the as someone who has been Copeland’s vision. “We’ve spent about six space we have. By increasing the patient and kept her shoulder years working to figure out where and how physical space, we’ll be able to inwould be the best place to move from Fridley City Councilmember Phillipe Cunningham speaking at C Line groundbreaking crease the amount of program■ See capri on page 8 (Thor’s current location). As our mission and ming for [both].”

Courtesy of Metro Transit

More space, programs, and a safe place for young people

2

March 29 — April 4, 2018

Ampers Public Radio reaches 18 stations around the state Health stories like Keith Trotter’s striking weight loss are among the fare

Keith Trotter with his book

By Jonika Stowes Contributing Writer Most Minnesotans have heard of Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), but its competitor, Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations (Ampers) comes in a close second.

“The People’s Station” KMOJ and KFAI are two of Ampers’ more popular stations. North High School has a jazz station at 88 FM also controlled by Ampers.

Radio K, Real College Radio, is also a famous station of Ampers’ having 12 pedagogicalbased communities. When it comes to providing the public with listening material, Ampers’ uniqueness in programming means that what you hear on the radio in one community you might not necessarily hear in another.

With 18 stations around Minnesota from as far east as Thief River Falls and Morris to as far west as Grand Marais and Winona; from as far south as Mankato, Austin and Roches-

ter to as far north as Net Lake and everything in between; these alternative radio stations are reaching the communities they service.

As a nonprofit organization since its inception in 1972, Ampers has received funding from Medtronic Foundation over the years that helps sponsor various health-related messages heard on the stations.

Erin Warhol has been the program director at Ampers for the past five years helping to create many programs. Warhol said, “It’s important from a station standpoint that the messages are serving the community, are what the stations will be happy to run on air to their communities and are what is in alignment with what their community is all about.”

Warhol feels that when you look at programming from this viewpoint there are constructive topics radio stations help deliver. When she first came on staff at Ampers, Warhol was sent to a seminar being held by the Department of Health on how to best disseminate information that would be impactful.

The Health Department learned through listening sessions that people take things in better when the subject matter is coming from a peer. Warhol said, “Don’t just have an expert tell me all the things I’m doing wrong, but instead people take things in better from a peer sharing something that they’ve learned from their past.”

Such is the program started a few years ago on Ampers called “Take Control of Diabetes.”

Warhol said, “We’re not doing informational pieces about diabetes. There will be information about diabetes in these pieces, but we found people who had to take control to manage their diabetes.”

In came Keith Trotter, whose success at weight-loss was featured on CNN September 30, 2013. In 2009 Trotter attended a New Year’s Eve party and a friend posted a photo of him on Facebook at 386 pounds. Trotter got up to a hefty 405 pounds before he started losing weight, and this Facebook photo became his motivation to lose the pounds.

When asked how he got to such a weight, Trotter said for him it was the masculine mentality: “It’s the ‘I was buff in high-school so

We already know that poverty is a math problem. So, what else is it?

‘Hidden rules of class’ help the poor do more with less retary of Labor Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s controversial 1965 report The Negro Family: The Case for National Action as well as some elements of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. Political scientist Michael Harrington, author of The Other America, also addressed the culture of poverty, but for Harrington the issue is related to the systematic oppression and exclusion of poor people from America and its institutions.

The culture of poverty has some universal characteristics which transcend regional, rural-urban, and even national differences… There are remarkable similarities in family structure, interpersonal relations, time orientations, value systems, spending patterns, and the sense of community in lower-class settlements in London, Glasgow, Paris, Harlem, and Mexico City.

– Oscar Lewis Generally, in America the notion [of hidden rules] is recognized for racial and ethnic groups, but not particularly for economic groups.

– Ruby K. Payne Conclusion of a six-part series Oscar Lewis, the late American anthropologist, is perhaps best remembered for what he termed the “subculture of poverty” in 1959. He would go on to theorize that this subculture transcends ethnic and geographical boundaries, suggesting that “the culture of poverty is both an adaptation and a reaction of the poor classes to their marginal position in a classstratified, highly individualistic, capitalist society.”

Lewis’s theories about the subculture of poverty would influence then-U.S. Assistant Sec-

the “culture of poverty” or “the hidden rules of class” reflect the poor’s sense of helplessness, alienation and pessimism, I contend that a close examination of the hidden rules are in many cases reflective of the intelligence, character, and survival instincts of those living in poverty.

In presenting the hidden rules of class, Payne notes that most of these norms and social cues are “taken for granted by a

“Most of these norms and social cues are taken for granted by a particular class, which assumes they are a given for everyone.”

In recent years a number of other scholars have challenged the ideas of Lewis. However, this debate, regardless of which side one comes down on, has proven foundational for the work of educator and social class analyst Ruby K. Payne.

In her 1995 bestseller A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Payne describes what she calls the “hidden rules of class,” which she defines as “the unspoken cues and habits of a group.”

She frequently references the writings of Lewis, Harrington, and American sociologist and C. Wright Mills. As was the case with each of these men, Payne’s research has been highly controversial and garnered harsh criticism from many in the world of academia.

Yet for the purposes of the final installment of this six-part series, I want to move beyond partisan or ideological bents and simply demonstrate how the hidden rules of class provide another aspect of what poverty is in America. Furthermore, while some scholars have argued that

particular class, which assumes they are a given for everyone.”

In her text, she identifies 15 of the major hidden rules, which among other things focus on matters of possessions, money, food, clothing, time, education, destiny, language, world view and love.

For example, those living in poverty see money as something to be used or spent. In contrast, middle-class rules view money as something to be managed, and the wealthy want to conserve and invest their money.

For the poor, when it comes to the issue of food, the most critical question is “Do we have enough?” The hidden rules of the middle class place a priority on the quality of food, while the wealthy are also interested in its presentation.

The hidden rules of wardrobe suggest that those in the lower class value clothing for its “individual style and expression of personality,” whereas the middle class prioritizes quality ■ See Soldier on page 9

I must be buff now.’” Trotter spread out 10 crooked fingers. “I’m not going to the doctor because I broke this finger. I broke all these fingers playing football and never seen a doctor for one of them,” Trotter continued, “so it’s something that men struggle with in the beginning, anyway.”

Trotter said of men going to the doctor’s office, “I’m not going to admit to being in pain or being sick, that’s weakness at this point.” He said that women are more critical of their bodies and men just take a snapshot view of how they look.

At his yearly physicals, doctors were telling him to get his weight under control because diabetes runs in his family. Trotter started a blog about his weight-loss journey, and by the time of the CNN coverage Trotter had lost 158 pounds but hadn’t yet published his book.

Two years later in 2015 Trotter’s book, 100 Small Steps, was published with the Facebook photo on the cover of the book.

“I knew I was overweight. I didn’t know I was morbidly obese and I couldn’t control the message of someone else’s eye,” Trotter said of

Keith Trotter before and after

his friend posting the Facebook photo. With a strong social media following of 30 to 40 thousand, Trotter’s original weight-loss blog has been taken down in a re-branding initiative.

Today as a successful author, motivational speaker, and columnist at Huffington Post, Trotter manages his diabetes on a daily basis but admits to a recent hospital stay due to a staph infection in his foot that thwarted his diabetes management.

In total Trotter has lost 180 pounds and is currently working on his second book. Keith Trotter’s story of managing diabetes is just one example of the underlying messages featured on Ampers Radio stations that are often sponsored by the Medtronic Foundation. As an entity focused on providing the public with healthy alternatives and constructively teaching how to achieve such health, Medtronic Foundation’s partnership with Ampers is reaching across Minnesota communities.

This story is made possible by a grant from the Medtronic Foundation.

Photos courtesy of Keith Trotter

March 29 — April 4, 2018

3

What you should know about acne

By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD First of a two-part column

T

he medical term for acne is “acne vulgaris.” Acne is the most common skin disorder in the United States and the number-one reason patients visit a dermatologist.

Approximately 50 million Americans suffer from acne. Over 80 percent of all teenagers battle acne.

Unfortunately, acne is not a teenage disorder. In fact, acne can occur at any stage of life. Over 35 percent of adult women over the age of 30 report struggling with acne.

There are often significant physical and psychological side effects that come from suffering from acne, such as scarring, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression.

Advice from the Internet and from friends and family can often lead legitimate acne informationseekers astray. Here we will discuss and explain the causes, complications, and treatment options of acne from the knowledge base of a board-certified dermatologist and skin specialist.

Causes of acne There are six key players when it comes to the formation of acne: • Excess oil (sebum) production • Clogged pores • Bacteria • Inflammation • Genetics/hormones • Trigger foods Many areas of our skin contain glands that produce oil, also known as “sebum.” The face, neck, chest and back are areas that contain a large number of these oil glands. There are many advantages of sebum. These include protection and even mild immune protection.

The oil travels to the surface of the skin via tubes commonly called pores. The inside of pores contain skin cells. These skin cells sometimes become sticky and clump.

The clump can plug the pore, producing a small bump.

The medical term for a plugged pore is a “comedone.” If the contents become oxidized and turn dark, the lesion is termed an “open comedone,” commonly called a “blackhead.” Without oxidation or darkening, the lesion is called a “closed comedone” or “whitehead.”

Comedones are the precursors to acne. When oil is produced behind the plugged pore, a nodule develops. This attracts bacteria.

Bacteria release substances called “free-fatty-acids,” which cause extreme inflammation. Inflammation produces redness, bumps, and pustules, the clinical manifestation of what we call “acne.”

Oil production and the ability of skin cells lining the inside of pores to stick together and plug the pores

are under the influence of hormones. That is why acne occurs in adolescence when hormone levels start to change. It is also why situations that influence hormone levels like stress, medications and menstruation can make acne worse.

ular basis, after ingestion of these foods or any others, then it would be wise to minimize them in your diet.

Some topical cosmetic products can exacerbate acne and should also be avoided when identified.

ne, we can use any or all of these as targets to modify in treating acne.

Most acne treatments will take four to eight weeks to see a significant improvement.

Contrary to popular TV commercials, there really are no overnight treatments for acne. Most acne treatments require ongoing treatment for continued success.

While waiting for an acne treatment to work, it can be tempting to manipulate or squeeze acne lesions to make them go away faster.

Dermatologists do not recommend squeezing acne lesions. Manipulating acne lesions can make the situation worse and cause permanent scarring.

The treatment of acne can use topical treatments or systemic treatments. Sometimes a combination of both treatments may be used. These treatments may include over-the-counter products or prescription products from a doctor or dermatologist.

Next week: Specific acne treatment options, skin-care tips, and scar treatments.

The level of sensitivity to hormonal changes is based on genetics and heredity. That is why some people suffer more with acne than others.

Foods are not a significant contributor to acne, except some foods may be personal triggers for some people. These include greasy foods, chocolate, and a diet high in dairy, especially skim milk. If you find that your acne flares up, on a reg-

These include make-ups and haircare products where the hair comes in contact with the forehead, shoulders and back. Use “non-acnegenic” skin-care products when possible. Also, sports equipment can apply pressure on the skin and clog pores, leading to acne.

Acne treatment options Now that we have discussed the six key players in the cause of ac-

Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He also has a private practice in Eagan, MN. He has been selected as one of the top 10 dermatologists in the United States by Black Enterprise magazine and one of the top 21 African American physicians in the U.S. by the Atlanta Post. Dr. Crutchfield is president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians.

New poll shows how generations differ over health issues

Anika Ward

Courtesy of Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota

By Charles Hallman Senior Staff Writer The Center for Prevention, a Blue Cross Blue Shield program funded last September through proceeds from the organization’s historic lawsuit against the tobacco industry, surveyed 1,235 state residents across four generations: Baby Boomers (ages 53-71), Gen X (ages 37-52), Gen Y (ages 18-36) and Gen Z (ages 13-17). They found over half of all Minnesotans polled (51 percent) think they care more about their health than their parents or grandparents, but Baby Boomers (66 percent) care “most strongly” about health compared to Gen X (60 percent), Gen Y (46 percent) and Gen Z (28 percent).

Other key findings include: Gen Y Minnesotans (46 percent) support publicly funded preventive health programs for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer more strongly than the other three generational groups. All age groups also want tax money used for school health and wellness initiatives: Gen Z (52 per-

cent), Gen Y (51 percent), Gen X (46 percent) and Boomers (44 percent).

At least two-thirds of Minnesotans are physically active, but their activities vary by generation.

formation and resources that our parents and grandparents didn’t have.

I think that is impacting the ways my generation and other generations younger than me view health,” Ward pointed out.

Ward, who joined Blue Cross Blue Shield almost two years ago, has worked with local organizations to improve outcomes for families and youth over the past 20 years. She noted that her work also gave her a keen insight into her own family health history: “I understand my own family stories,” including several members of her family with smoking habits.

“My parents’ generation” dealt with cigarette smoking and learning about its addictive habits, Ward recalled. “I learned a lot, and understood a lot about how our community [had] a lifelong addiction to menthol… I am realizing that there is not a community or a family that this doesn’t touch.

“My mother, father and sister [smoked], and how they were attracted to menthol cigarettes and the ways they were attracted were planned by the cigarette companies, and it has worked for so many generations. To hear my parents talk about my grandparents’ stories is really distressing and disturbing, and that we haven’t stopped in our community yet.”

Ward said of the Blue Cross poll, “I think there also is a difference across generations” in thinking about health, especially among Blacks and other

“We can’t achieve the health outcomes we want and make a difference in people’s lives without addressing the socioeconomic factors that also profoundly impact health.”

Did the poll find similar responses among Black age groups? Anika Ward, the Center for Prevention’s director, said in a recent MSR phone interview they didn’t have any racial breakdown data but she believes the results would be comparable.

“My personal opinion would not be that we [as Blacks] care more about health than our parents and grandparents, but we have more access to the in-

people of color. Black mortality rates are double that of other Minnesotans, she pointed out. “African American men are more likely to die from prostate cancer than Whites. African American women are more likely to get diagnosed with [breast] cancer” than White women.

“The list goes on and on,” she emphasized.

She therefore advised, “If we are not

paying close attention to the health issues right now, we are going to see our issues continue to get deeper. If we are paying attention, and are using the lessons in how to shape our communities – people are living a healthier lifestyle – doing that will create a healthier community.

“We are more aware of…how menthol impacted our community,” Ward continued, “how to undo some of the systemic things that plagued our community, and how it costs us dearly in our health. I think the conversations are different.”

Unfortunately, smoking among Blacks still exists, she reiterated. “I think the biggest lesson, the biggest outcome for me, is how everything, every individual decision that we make impacts our health.

“It is critical that we are informed” about health issues, because decisions that are made “will have an impact on a huge level and will impact our families and impact the stories that we will be able to tell later,” she pointed out.

The health decisions people make today “are going to be part of the stories that our next generations will be tell-

ing about community health and their families.”

Ward says the Center for Prevention is committed to working with local organizations in helping communities “take the lead in addressing health issues.” For example, Slow Roll St. Paul, a group that meets during the summer months, is using “a cross-generational approach to addressing health issues in Minnesota. We focus on predominately people of color neighborhoods in St. Paul,” Ward said.

“We are in the healthcare realm, and we know that preventive health [is important]. We typically know that we can’t achieve the health outcomes we want and make a difference in people’s lives without addressing the socioeconomic factors that also profoundly impact health. Our organization has made it a priority to address health inequities and racial inequities in Minnesota,” Ward said.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesmanrecorder.com.

February 16-22, 2017

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4 March 29 — April 4, 2018

Volunteer to protect Green tip: Continuing your eco-friendly habits while the environment you travel

B

elieve it or not, spring break is right around the corner! The stress and excitement of travel can mean that it’s also a time where we forget our daily habits and create a lot more waste than usual. Whether you’re taking a spring trip or looking ahead to summer adventures, there are many simple and practical ways to reduce waste on your next vacation.

Photo by Andrew Itaga/Unsplash

Become a Master Recycler/Composter.

Join fellow waste reduction enthusiasts and become an advocate for your community as a Hennepin County Master Recycler/Composter. These trained volunteers plan and implement projects that prevent waste, improve recycling and increase public awareness of opportunities to recycle and compost.

The spring course will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 9 pm from April 11 to May 16 at Elim Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale. An optional field trip will be held on Friday, May 4.

Become a tree steward Learn the basics of tree care and help take care of the urban forest in your community by becoming a tree steward. Volunteer tree stewards take a one-day class that covers the basics of tree biology, health, planting, watering, and pruning through a combination

of classroom instruction and hands-on, outdoor field experience.

Volunteers will then have opportunities to practice their skills by helping with various tree planting and tree care projects in the community.

The next class will be held Saturday, March 31 from 8 am to 4 pm at the Hopkins Fire Station. Learn more and sign up.

For more information, contact Jen Kullgren at jen.kullgren@hennepin.us or 612-5961175.

— Information from Hennepin County.

Packing: remember the essentials Remember to pack some of these waste-prevention musthaves: • Refillable water bottle and thermos for water, tea, and coffee • Reusable utensils and napkins • Phone, charger, and headphones • Reusable bag(s)

weight, stackable containers for travel.

Hotels: take advantage of conservation programs Most hotels have water conservation programs (e.g., reusing towels and sheets). If you can’t find the directions, call the front desk. A lot of hotels don’t have recycling in the rooms. So if you have something recyclable, hold on to your item until you find a clearly marked recycling bin.

Souvenirs: spend wisely Resist that coffee mug or snow globe, and use this is as an opportunity to talk about value with the family. Gifts can be cherished if the items can withstand the test of time.

Consider items like jewelry,

Snacks: reduce the mess While in a car or on a plane, it’s always nice to have some snacks. Travel can be an excuse to try something new or special from the bulk section at the grocery store — raspberry pretzels, candied ginger, or a trail mix. Remember to purchase these in your own, reusable containers to avoid disposable plastic bags.

Save plastic containers from yogurt, sour cream or takeout is a good way to get light-

clothing or something unique from the region. If you’re visiting someone, express how special it is to indulge in experiences and enjoy meals together instead of gifts.

After the trip: keep track of what worked Once you’re home and reminiscing over photos or unpacking your suitcase, take a few minutes to jot down what waste-prevention strategies worked for your trip and what you’d like to try next time. Update your packing list or other trip planning documents now, so you’re ready to go for your next adventure.

— Information from Hennepin County.

Photo courtesy of MGN

Five ways to celebrate Earth Day April 22 is Earth Day; it is an annual opportunity to celebrate the natural world and get involved in short- and long-term efforts to protect the environment. Here are five ways to celebrate.

1. Volunteer. Many neighborhoods and communities around the country host volunteer clean-ups to honor Earth Day. Find one in your area or organize your own: gather some friends, some sturdy garbage bags and pairs of work gloves, and head out to a park or the shore of a local waterway for a clean-up.

2. Enjoy nature. Get outside and enjoy nature. Even if you aren’t an experienced hiker, there are plenty of tools to make getting outdoors

easy, such as wearable tech, which can support your adventure.

3. Plant a tree. Trees provide shade and food for people and a habitat for birds and other wildlife. What’s more, they produce oxygen for people to inhale, as well as sequester CO2. Trees also reduce polluting runoff by intercepting water. In short, we need trees! Celebrate Earth Day by planting one. Each year, you can watch it mature and grow.

4. Reduce waste. The land and ocean have become saturated with plastics and other trash. Get into the habit of reducing waste by recycling and reusing items as much as possible. Take a look at the footprint you create with your plastic consump-

tion and find ways to improve your habits. Bring a reusable bag to the grocery store. Buying a drink?

Don’t use a straw. Getting takeout? Ask the restaurant to hold the plastic silverware.

5. Update your technologies.

Outdated tech often contains harmful elements that can hurt the environment, such as lead paint or mercury. Check out newer models that meet international standards.

This Earth Day, celebrate a healthy planet with environmental stewardship at-home and in your community.

—Information provided by StatePoint

Hennepin County revising reCyCling

Photo courtesy of MGN

BLACK EXCELLENCE:

ordinanCe to inCrease organiCs

THE HBCU EXPERIENCE SATURDAY

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$5

Photo by joanna-boj/unsplash

BRING A SISTA!

Join us at Sister Spokesman to hear from some of Minnesota’s own HBCU Alumni on their experiences and find out if a historically black college or university is the right choice for you

NORTHSIDE ACHIEVEMENT ZONE 2123 WEST BROADWAY AVE.,MPLS, MN 55411

Hennepin County is in the process of revising its recycling ordinance with a focus on increasing organics recycling. Because organic materials, which include food, non-recyclable paper, and compostable products, currently make up about 25 percent of the trash, increasing organics recycling is an important step toward meeting the county’s goal of recycling 75 percent of waste by 2030.

Key provisions being considered for the ordinance include requiring businesses that generate large quantities of food waste to

start food waste recycling, requiring cities to offer curbside organics recycling service to residents, updating multifamily recycling requirements, and incorporating state recycling requirements.

County staff are currently reaching out to stakeholders, including city representatives, businesses, trade associations, waste haulers and property owners, to seek input on the ordinance language.

—Information from Hennepin County

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 612-827-4021 GET CONNECTED! www.facebook.com/sisterspokesman • @SisterSpokesman

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March 29 — April 4, 2018

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) welcomes and values commentary and feedback from the community. The articles found here are edited for clarity and/or space, but the opinions are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the MSR.

Through My Eyes

The Minneapolis Story Continues

DONALD TRUMP AND THE DEATH PENALTY:

Black America be on the alert

By Ron Edwards Contributing Commentator President Donald Trump made a very controversial promise about punishment in America: to provide the death penalty for leading drug dealers, despite many studies suggesting not only that the death penalty is not an effective deterrent, but worse, that it is not applied fairly to people of color. Yet, after conversations with the Chinese president and others, Donald Trump says the death penalty is in order for leading drug traffickers whose dealings cause the deaths of thousands of users.

We in the Black community know that wrongful deaths will not bring life.

We welcome and are not opposed to punishing those who prey upon our neighborhoods. But the law also punishes our neighborhoods when skin color determines who is punished and how. Who can afford attorneys to be let off for rehab will always beat the poor relegated wrongfully to death row?

Many who look like Donald Trump or who look like his sons and his son-in-law, his wife and daughter, and his cabinet members (with the exception of Ben Carson) will not go to jail. White Americans do not receive the extent of the “colored” death penalty.

From a Black perspective, the realistic compassion Thurgood Marshall spoke of to fortify empathy with Black victims of injustice extends more often to Whites than to Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. Trump’s new program, welcomed by all to end the scourge of drugs, will still be a scourge for Blacks when the “justice” is managed by Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III. There is a danger here and a most chilling message: Harvested poppies lead to the production of opiate drugs from Afghanistan in Asia where we have military presence. Drugs are also from Columbia, South

America; Mexico, just across the Rio Grande to other parts of S.E. Asia, and the world that produces drugs that are poisoning and ravaging our nation.

With Blacks being a major target and a group guaranteed to be the most disproportionate number in America’s penal system, they are also among the poorest and thus unable to acquire legal counsel. The African American community is the most saturated community in regards to illegal drugs.

Remember Maxine Waters’ warning about the U.S. bringing drugs into South Central L.A., her congressional district for more than 30 years.

Think again about the spokesperson and facilitator who is applying for this new Federal death penalty emphasis: Alabama’s Honorable Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III. This is not a game invented by Donald Trump; it is a game played since the 1980s. Is Trump just the latest to do so or will he change the game as promised? Is the now-lowest unemployment rate for Blacks being used to hide the highest number to be incarcerated or a step to begin lowering it?

Too many Black Americans have been unfairly charged, unfairly convicted and unfairly sentenced to death row.

To honor his pledge in Detroit during the campaign, President Trump needs to help prevent Blacks and other Americans of color from being beaten to their knees with death penalty policies unfairly carried out.

Listen closely, Black America. Be vigilant.

Most importantly, work for the survival of all races in America.

Stay tuned.

For Ron’s hosted radio and TV show’s broadcast times, solutions papers, books, and archives, go to www.TheMinneapolisStory.com. To order his books, go to www.BeaconOnTheHillPress. com

Trying My Best

Who gets U.S. drone technology?

Is race a factor?

By Frank Erickson Contributing Commentator On February 18, federal prosecutors in Minnesota announced charges against three men Vsama Dawich Haamade, 53; his brother, Issam Darwich Hamade, 55; and Samin Ahmed Berro, 64 for conspiring to illegally export drone aircraft technology to Hezbollah, which the U.S. government defines as a ”terrorist organization.”

But Russia is also an enemy of the U.S. government just like Hezbollah, and Russia has drone aircraft and drone technology equal to that of the Unit-

ed States.

So why is the U.S. so accepting of Russia having drones yet then have no tolerance with Muslims trying to piece together a drone with spare parts? If the U.S. can live with Russia’s drones, why can’t the U.S. live with Hezbollah having a homemade WalMart type drone?

This is about racism, making sure that enemies of the United States — who are people of color — do not get even some basic drone technology and then having no problem with the White men in Russia having advance drone technology. Trying

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to stop Russia from building drones would make the most sense.

The U.S. uses drones, so how can anyone trying to acquire drone technology be doing something illegal? Trying to acquire drone technology is not terrorism.

It is a clever set up, calling people ”terrorists,” then no matter what they do it is illegal. You have your primary enemy Russia doing the same activity as the terrorists and it is not illegal; Russia’s drones are not seen as illegal.

Frank Erickson lives in Minneapolis.

ReveRend IRene MonRoe

A Black girl’s take on A Wrinkle in Time

By Rev. Irene Monroe Contributing Commentator A Wrinkle in Time was a must-see film for me, and a must-see flick worldly different from dashing out to see Black Panther. It doesn’t mean, however, Ava Duvernay’s $100 million film with a multicultural cast isn’t without problems.

It is, which is one reason why the film has received mixed reviews — unlike Black Panther’s ongoing and wildly enthusiastic critical appraise.

While it is wrong to expect from Duvernay what was achieved by Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster hit — because they are both African American film directors — and moviegoers have never experienced back-to-back films with Black actors as leads, the critiques about Duvernay’s interpretation of Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 classic is not unwarranted. What is unjustified are the racist critiques about using a young Black female actress to depict a universal theme about the messy complications, frustrations, and uncertainty about girlhood. ”Teenage Meg Murry and her mother, who are both White like the rest of their family in the A Wrinkle in Time novel, are portrayed in this film version by Black actresses Storm Reid and Gugu Mbatha-Raw; dad is played by Caucasian Chris Pine,” movie critic James Dawson wrote in The Federalist. “Twin brothers from the book are missing entirely from the movie, which may be a blessing, considering that political correctness probably would have dictated they be played by a Native American dwarf and a disabled transsexual.”

Dawson is operating out of the tendentious belief, still regrettably heard by many today, that only White actors should portray Shakespearean characters, unless, of course, it’s Othello, the Moor of Venice since Blackface is no longer in fashion. These same bigots are outraged by Black cast adaptations of The Wiz (1978), Magnolia (2012), and Annie, Steel (2014).

The hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite” emerged out of the glaring absence of people of color. Outside of urban or comedic or hypersexualized racial stereotypes, a meaningful portrayal of African Americans in films is more an anomaly than the norm found in White films. Today’s modernized versions of coons, thugs, mammies, and maids are expected roles for African American actors in both Black and White films

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which makes Black Panther a seismic surprise and A Wrinkle in Time, shockingly confusing to White moviegoers like Dawson.

Black little girls of my era weren’t seen on television. Before my era, watching old black and white films of the cherubic child star of the 1930s, Shirley Temple, only reminded me I could never be America’s little darling. Temple’s moments with the great African American tapdancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson in four musicals only cemented for me just how cute, precocious, and better-at-tap-dancing little Black girls could never be in step with the only accepted image of girlhood.

“I grew up in an era where there was absolutely zero, minus, images of girls like her [Storm Reid] in pop culture,” Oprah stated in an interview with NBC News. Oprah is Mrs. Which in A Wrinkle in Time. “So I do imagine to be a brown-skinned girl of any race throughout the world, looking up on that screen and seeing Storm. I think that is a capital A, capital W, E, some, AWESOME, experience,” Oprah added by phone. “I think this is going to be a wondrous marvel of experience for girls that in the future…will just take for granted.”

Film critic Aramide A. Tinubu depicts DuVernay’s adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time as a love letter to Black girls. DuVernay depicts the film as being Black woman-fied. It is, in my opinion, not only a Black woman-fied love letter, it is also a shout out saying, “I see you, Oprah; I see you, Irene; I see you all with all your messy and wonderful selves.”

African American female portrayal in films as children or adults is usually one-sided and painfully dehumanizing to watch.

In 2010, the actress and comedian Mo’Nique captured the gold statue for best-supporting actress in the movie Precious, based on Sapphire’s novel Push, where Mo’Nique was a ghetto welfare mom who demeaned and demoralized her child every chance she could.

In 2011, writer-director Dee Rees’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama Pariah depicted a religious mean homophobic mother.

And, in 2012, Amandla Stenberg portrayed the character Rue in the blockbuster film The Hunger Games. The film script followed the book closely, unlike the Dawson complaint about the casting of Rue in A Wrinkle in Time. Some fans were apoplectic, nonetheless. Sadly, the result was a tweeting tsunami of racist comments focusing on the presence of the few Black characters in the film — especially of Rue: “Why does Rue have to be Black? Not gonna lie, kinda ruined the movie.”

“Kk call me racist but when I found out Rue was Black her death wasn’t as sad.”

“Why did the producer make all the good characters Black?”

“Awkward moment when Rue is some Black girl and not the little blonde innocent girl you pictured.”

Little Black girls in strong starring roles now counting Storm Reid’s Meg in A Wrinkle of Time is four: Zelda Harris as Troy in Crooklyn (1994), Jurnee Smollett as Eve Batiste in Eve’s Bayou (1997), and Quvenzhané Wallis as Annie Bennett in Annie (2014).

Little Black girls are in the shadow of this racialized political moment of police brutality, school shootings and the “Me, Too Movement.”

A Wrinkle in Time was my must-see film because it was the only time of late that I saw young Irene’s and little Black girls’ struggle depicted.

Rev. Irene Monroe is a Huffington Post blogger and freelance journalist.

5

6

March 29 — April 4, 2018

Personal hair journey powers local playwright’s Kinks and curvy features. In my play, I try to celebrate the uniqueness of Black women.”

Kinks came about, she reflects, “Basically, because of my own natural hair journey. A year ago, I cut all my hair off. I’d worn a relaxer for years [and] decided I didn’t want to wear it anymore.”

It then occurred to her that in so do-

Paying attention to timing and, she says, “Not overdoing it. Being subtle, sarcastic. Playing off of ordinary things.”

Hence, she brings home a serious subject without necessarily beating audiences over the head. “I took the discrimination [Black women] face both from society for being your authentic self and discrimination within the Black community. A lot of

“Black women are rejecting this message and embracing our beauty..."

Tina Burnside

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer

F

ew things, on the face of it, are more innocuous than the hair on one’s head. However, so far as social issues go, the hair on a Black woman’s head is far from an idle consideration. Indeed, reaction thereto can be subtle, yet far-reaching discrimination.

All one needs to verify this is to note that there has been, almost since the invention of dirt, a texture perceived as “good hair,” after which, in fact, Chris Rock titled a documentary.

The meaning being, of course, that any hair, no matter how attractive, be it a fluffy fro, braids, close cut, what have

Photo courtesy of Tina Burnside you, comes in second to straight hair — though curls are almost as “good,” as long as they’re not that other n-word: nappy. To be blunt, so-called “good hair” is hair that looks like a White woman’s.

On that score, Tina Burnside’s Kinks is a play you may well want to make time to attend and consider. Burnside makes no bones about addressing the impact of the issue, stating “The issue of what is ‘good hair’ is similar to [that] of skin tone.” Society has created this false message that the closer a person is to White... the more beautiful they are.

“Black women are rejecting this message and embracing our beauty, which includes our kinky hair, skin tones that range the spectrum from fair to dark,

ing, she’d made a statement. “It’s more than just hair. It has issues of race and culture and history and social status. All those are involved. I wanted to explore that.” Which she does, courtesy of theatre companies Raw Sugar and Theatre Unbound.

Rachel Teagle, Raw Sugar executive director, says of the process by which Kinks arrived on the boards, “[Submissions started] in May 2017 when Raw Sugar reached out to women/trans/ femme artists living in the Twin Cities to work with us to develop hour-long comedic scripts, culminating in a public performance the following spring.

“We requested samples of existing work along with a pitch for the piece they’d like to develop. The selection committee was impressed with Tina Burnside’s work, particularly how clearly she developed characters...the clarity and strength.”

Burnside, whose work to date has been dramatic, didn’t blanch at testing new waters. “It was very rewarding — a great opportunity, a great learning experience,” she recalls. Indeed, she cultivated what effective dramatic playwrights use as a winning trait, finding humor in a serious subject.

that still goes on.”

In Kinks, as in life, perceived stigma holds and across class — upscale sistas are by no means immune. Marketing exec Stacy is done assimilating and takes a stand. “The play begins and she is doing a touch-up to her relaxer and comes to the decision that she’s not going to do it anymore. She does the ‘big chop.’ Cuts it all off.

“So, now, she’s embarking on this journey of going back to her natural state of hair. But, she doesn’t remember what it was like because she’s had a relaxer since she was 12. That’s the story of a lot of Black women. It’s a rites of passage when you’re [a teenager]. When you’re down the road, in your 40s, 50s, it’s been a long time since you’ve seen your natural hair. She’s going on the journey back to herself.”

At one point, personal stakes wax professional. “She has this big presentation at work. She’s preparing to deal with that and is getting pressure at the job. ‘What’re you going to do with your hair? You can’t go in there looking like that!’ It doesn’t conform to the corporate norm.” When it boils down to integrity, a matter of pride versus paycheck, push has come to shove and something must

give.

“Most of [my stories] deal with race and culture,” notes Burnside, including the script she’ll continue shopping once Kinks is by the boards. Behind The March, which received a Playwrights Center reading, is “about the Civil Rights Movement, the March on Washington. My main character is Anna Arnold Hebteman. She’s from Minnesota. She graduated Hamline University [and] was the only woman involved in planning the march.”

In Just a Rope? an office cleaning crew at the office discovers a noose, whereupon a discussion about race and the history of lynching erupts, pitting coworkers against one another other.

Impure is about environmental justice based on the water contamination in Flint, Michigan.

Burnside has also written the novel Have Mercy about an assistant district attorney struggling with prosecuting a 14-year-old girl for murder, bringing to bear race in the criminal justice system, as well as the treatment of juveniles tried as adults.

Kinks is directed by Kim Hines with a cast of Brenda Bell Brown, Dana Lee Thompson, Drea Reynolds, Shenique Emelife and Abigail Sharp. The play premieres April 6 and runs through April 15 (except April 13) at Crane Studio, 2303 Kennedy St NE #120 in Minneapolis.

Also on the bill are Katherine Glover’s Sex, War, and Syphilis directed by Morgan Holmes, and Beth Ann Powers’ Ace, with Margo Gray directing and music by Jess Eisenberg. Visit www.rawsugartheater.com for ticket prices and times.

Dwight Hobbes welcomes reader responses to P.O. Box 50357, Minneapolis, MN 55403.

Mermaid Hour continues Mixed Blood’s mission of inclusive storytelling

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer Mixed Blood Theatre strikes again. Daring and resourceful founding Artistic Director Jack Reuler, holding cutting edge as the company’s calling card, stages David Valdes Greenwood’s Mermaid Hour: Remixed.

Adapted from Greenwood’s acclaimed drama, this musical is the saga of Vi, a flowering Latina and Asian lass coming to terms with herself as a young mixed race transgender person. As if adolescence alone isn’t enough of a challenge.

Reuler discovered the script at a reading showcased by National New Play Network.

“We’ve been trying to become more of a home for trans theatre artists the last four [to] five years — trying to be a destination for mixed race theatre,” he said “The composer Eric Mayson, the director [Leah Anderson] and the characters were bi-racial.

“It’s a new play and we like to do new plays. Just a bunch of things about it all sort of conspired and said we should do this. So, we set about doing it.”

Ironically, for all Minneapolis pats itself on the back for celebrating multiculturalism, particularly when it comes to matters of non-heterosexuality, there’s a dearth of theatre reflecting that sensibility.

“The first thing we did was in 1986 when Don Cheadle was in Liquid Skin, about someone transitioning and the reactions of everyone around them,” continued Reuler. “Then, we did Colossal about four years ago and we

had a transgender director [Will Davis] who said there’s really a void in American theatre, not just the Twin Cities. Then, we did Hir by Taylor Mac, Then, for Charm, seven of the nine characters were not only trans but were played by trans actors.

“We said, ‘We really need to get serious about this.’ We have…Jay Owen Eisenberg, an actor, educator and activist, whose year-round job is connecting us with the trans community.

There’s an advisory council.”

“We’ve been trying to become more of a home for trans theatre artists the last four [to] five years — trying to be a destination for mixed race theatre.”

As well, at the end of The Mermaid Hour Remixed’s run, there’s ON OUR OWN TERMS: Voices at the Intersection of Transgender Experience and Mixed Blood Theatre, April 27-29, a series featuring two performances of the show along with performances of MJ Kaufman’s Sensitive Guys, and a reading of Ben Fisher’s No Bull. “It’s a natural extension of our vision that we were remiss not including earlier,” said Reuler.

Azoralla Arroyo Caballero portrays 17-yearold Vi. Her reputation preceded her cast-

ing. Where actors customarily see a notice and show up looking for their next job, Reuler sent out feelers among his contacts to fill the role. All roads led him to one name: “Azzi,” as the trans youngster.

It is, of course, a plum assignment. “It feels really great to play a role not many people get a chance to do,” said Caballero. “I’m very glad to have this opportunity. As a person who identifies as transgender themselves, there’s not enough transgenders out there playing trans characters. I think we need more of that. People who are going through something similar definitely should come and see this play.”

How close to home is the role? “It’s close, but not super close.

Age is different. It took me a while longer to come to terms with myself and be able to tell anybody else who I was. Vi is a lot younger than I was. The whole racial thing is pretty close. I’m Latino, myself.” How did she bridge the gap between her age and Vi’s? “I have an 11-yearold sister, so, it isn’t that hard. It kind of put me in the mindset.”

Valdes Greenwood’s work has been staged across America, in- Azoralla Arroyo Caballero cluding Huntington Theatre ComPhoto by Rich Ryan pany, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Portland Stage, New York Theatre Workshop, age in a sexualized culture. The more I talkActors Theatre of Charlotte and the Humana ed to trans kids and their parents, including Festival. Needless to say, his artistic creden- my own friends, the more I knew that I wanttials are in order. He added, “I’m also a gay, Cu- ed to write a round portrait of the many interban American raising a daughter of color, so I connected challenges [about] family life in this knew that I wanted to write a play as diverse as specific moment in time.”

Hence, once more Mixed Blood delves into the American I live in. The play’s characters are ethnically diverse, as well as gay, straight, cis- thought-provoking territory, and does so with a carefully respectful eye on authenticity. gender, transgender, and non-binary.

“The family is multi-ethnic and struggling David Valdes Greenwood’s Mermaid Hour: to make ends meet, just like mine was when I was growing up. It was important to me that Remixed runs April 6- 29 at Mixed Blood Thethe story be one we don’t usually see on stage atre, 1501 S. 4th St. on the West Bank in Minneapolis. Tickets can be obtained in two ways: 1) Through in so many ways.”

Valdes Greenwood reflected on the original Radical Hospitality, admission is FREE on a first script, “I started writing this play after hearing come, first served basis starting two hours before evthe stories of an old friend who was raised in a ery show, or 2) Advanced reservations are available time when trans youth had few outlets for self- online or by phone for $25 per person. Visit www. expression and their families had no resources mixedblood.com or call 612-338-6131 for more into help them. Even today, when trans visibility formation. has increased and more possibilities exist, the most loving parents can still find this journey Dwight Hobbes welcomes reader responses to complicated, confusing, and painful.

“For the kids, there’s more than just gender P.O. Box 50357, Minneapolis, MN 55403. identity to contend with; they’re navigating the lure and risks of social media while coming of

March 29 — April 4, 2018

7

Sistas honored at 10th annual celebration

T

he Twin Cities Steppers Associa-

that African American and women of col-

ed the 10th Annual Celebrating the

knowledging there are still obstacles to

tion, led by Kevin Johnson, host-

Sistas event on March 3 at the DoubleTree

Hotel in Minneapolis. The event recogniz-

es and honors the community service of 15 remarkable women.

The keynote speaker for this year’s pro-

or have made in the Twin Cities. While ac-

overcome, the women being recognized are women of all ages and backgrounds

and have unique gifts and talents which deserve to be honored by the community.

Celebrating the Sistas also recognizes

gram was Dr. Josie R. Johnson, who re-

women who excel in business, communi-

Lifetime Achievement Award. There was

tions, politics, and social service.

ceived the 2018 Governor Dayton’s MLK also a special reception to celebrate the

ty activism, education, media communica-

fifth anniversary of the Baraza Gathering,

held in conjunction with the Celebrating

(l-r front row) Paula Haywood, Titilayo Bediako, Reona Berry,Dr. Josie Johnson, Beverly Propes, Dr. Artika Tyner, Rose McGee, Dr. Delores Henderson, Dr. Sylvia Bartley, Victoria ”Vicky” Davis, (l-r) second row) MC Yolande Bruce, Dr. Verna Cornelia Price, Vanne Owens Hayes, Pastor Rosetta Fuller, Nekima Levy-Pounds, Cheryl Clardy Photo by Karl Demer of Atomick Photography

the Sistas event.

Each year, Celebrating the Sistas rec-

ognizes

the

outstanding

contributions

Minneapolis graduation rates stay strong For the first time in six years, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) saw graduation rates rise above 70 percent.

Nearly 73 percent of Minneapolis students graduated within seven years. It is the highest seven-year graduation rate on record for the school system, which is substantial given the diverse student populations MPS serves.

The average four-year graduation rate across the district’s 10 largest high schools rose to 72 percent. District wide, the fouryear graduation rate was 66 percent.

mitted to doing what is right for our students, especially students in our special programs whose MPS education continues well beyond just four years of high school.

“Many of our students are newcomers to the United States who take advantage of our English Learner supports and opportunities for college-level courses; however, they often are unable to graduate in only four years.

Many are also students with disabilities who use our Transition Plus program, which is designed to give them the tools they need

dividualized support in smaller classes as they fulfill graduation requirements. If SWS students are counted in their larger school’s four-year graduation rates, there is a marked increase: Roosevelt rises to 73 percent, Henry to 81 percent, Southwest to 89 percent, and Wellstone to 24 percent.

As part of its efforts to not only graduate students but prepare them for college and career, MPS is increasing investment in cultivating literacy in grades K-12, expanding student support systems (also known as Multi-Tiered Systems of Support), increasing

“We’re committed to doing what is right for our students, especially students in our special programs.”

Superintendent Graff recognized the efforts being made throughout Minneapolis Public Schools. “I appreciate our students, teachers, and staff whose efforts have resulted in increasing graduation rates over the last six years.

“This intentional work includes improvements to our credit recovery opportunities, where more than 2,000 students took advantage of last year, and our ninth grade On-Track efforts, which led to more ninth graders passing their core courses.”

Chief of academics, leadership and learning Michael Thomas echoed that sentiment, pointing out how some people may question the focus on a seven-year graduation rate. “We’re com-

to transition to adulthood and independent living.”

Graff also acknowledged the district has more work to do.

“While we recognize these accomplishments, we must be sure MPS graduates leave school fully prepared for college and career.”

He continued, “We know what we’re doing right. But what can we do now to see the same gains in achievement that we’re seeing in graduation?”

Due to the way data are presented, the state’s graduation rates do not reflect the success of School-within-a-School (SWS) programs, which offer flexible programming to accommodate students’ diverse life situations.

In SWS, students receive in-

credit-recovery opportunities, and improving its ninth grade On-Track efforts.

Throughout MPS, staff are focused on building relevance and rigor into curriculum and instruction — even before students reach high school.

These actions help ensure fewer students are falling through the cracks, even at schools that have high overall graduation rates. The district’s goal is to make sure graduating students have the 21st-century skills they need to successfully conquer whatever they take on next.

—Information provided by Minneapolis Public Schools For more information visit mpls. k12.mn.us.

■

Phone: 612-827-4021

Mattie Garcenia Davis May 1, 1934 -March 20, 2015

I

t’s been three years since the Lord whispered in your ear and held your hand telling you that it’s time to come home. The day that God blessed and granted you your wings.

Our hearts remain full of the remembrance of the love and joy that you gave to each of us. We couldn’t have asked for a more loving, caring and nurturing mother.

This day will always be etched in our heart and in our thoughts.

Mom, you are truly missed by your family, friends and admirers. Continue to rest in eternal peace.

Obituary

Diana Janise “Diane” Puckett December 5, 1939 — March 22, 2018

D

iana Janise “Diane” Puckett was called home to glory on Thursday, March 22, 2018, surrounded by family. Diane was born to Robert and Georgia Martin on December 5, 1939 in St. Joseph, Missouri; she was one of 10 children. The family relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1950.

Diane graduated from Minneapolis Central High School in 1957. She was married to the love of her life, Robert Puckett, in 1965. From their union came three son — Parrish, Cary, and Anthony.

Diane was employed at Napco, Honeywell, and retired from the Minneapolis Park Board, where she worked for 13 years before retiring in 2003.

Diane continued to give to the community outside of her daily job. She was a member of the Original Social Club and was president of the Women’s Auxiliary of Johnnie Baker Post 291. In her spare time, she enjoyed needle art and crocheting. Diane also enjoyed spending time with her family and friends.

Diane is preceded in death by her father, Robert Martin; mother, Georgia Martin; brother, Robert Martin; sisters Rose Lee Briscoe and Carol Jean Sheffield.

She leaves to cherish her memories her loving husband of 52 years, Robert “Bob” Puckett; sons, Parrish (Leona) Martin, Cary (Wendy) Puckett, and Anthony Puckett all of Minneapolis, Minnesota; sisters, Mary Thompkins of St. Joseph, Missouri, Ruth (Dupree) Logan, Carrion Henderson, and Sandra Martin all of Minneapolis, Minnesota; brothers Charles (Shirley) Martin, Rudolph (Carol) Martin both of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Eleven Grandchildren; six great-grandchildren, and a host of cousins, nephews, nieces, and friends.

The service will be held on Thursday, March 29, 2018, 12 pm at River of Life Christian Church, 739 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105. Bishop Earl Gilchrist will be officiating.

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Mpls., MN 55408 612-827-7928 fax: 612-827-3587 www.greatfriend.org Sunday Morning Worship: 8 am Sunday School: 9 am Morning Worship: 10:40 am N.B.C.: 5:30 pm Evening Worship: 7pm (1st Sunday) www.greatfriend.org The Friendly Church Where Everybody Is Somebody

Rev. James C. Thomas, Pastor 451 West Central St. Paul, MN 55103 651-227-4444 Church School 9:30 am Morning Worship 8 & 10:45 am Prayer Service: Wednesday 7 pm

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Doctor Charles Gill 732 W. Central Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104

Dr. Willa Lee Grant Battle, Pastor 1908 Fourth Ave. So. Mpls., MN 24 Hour Dial-A-Prayer: 612-870-4695 www.gtdci.org Sunday School 9:30 am Sunday Worship 11:30 am Prayer Daily 7 pm Evangelistic Service: Wednesday & Friday 8 pm

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8

March 29 — April 4, 2018

Capri Continued from page 1

to the wheel. “I have been in Minneapolis for 45 years. When the renovation started in 2007, I was absolutely thrilled because I know what this community deserves and if anybody can do it, we can do it. We’re all really excited to get this done; it’s actually happening. We’re set to break ground.”

West seconded the sentiment. “We’ve been following her lead.”

“The community has shared our passion,” said Long. “We’ve talked to hundreds of people over the last 10 years about what they want at the Capri, what they’d like to see: Youth programming, of course, programming for all ages [and] all backgrounds. Definitely, the community’s behind us on it.”

phasized, is not only for PCYC/Capri Theater’s sake, but also for the community’s wellbeing at large. “We are looking forward to having the second space, which we’re calling the Great Hall right now, to only be for [theatrical events] but also would be available for weddings, funerals, baby showers, things like that. All community events. It makes us very proud to offer that to the community.”

Much as the Capri is something of a marquee entity, Scott underscores that there is more. “We have a partnership with the film society, [and] a partnership with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. We’re talking with other orchestras in town about possible partnerships. We’ll have space for visual arts as well. We have a sound engineering and recording program.”

Technology has been running rampant over the years and it shows no signs of slowing. “A big part of the second floor of the renovation will be the Best Buy Teen Tech Center where students can

“It is the nation’s duty to protect its children. But they have failed, and now, we will protect ourselves.”

“We’ll have an opportunity to be a hub for young people to express themselves, and to see people that look like them.”

West’s involvement with the organization stems, in fact, from a sense of commitment to the community, not at all removed from his profile of having acted at Penumbra Theatre and in the locally filmed movie Justice.

“Theatre is a transformative art form. I’m a product of an after-school program. I talk to Anne all the time about how I’ve come full circle, an artist in the Twin Cities for almost 30 years. How I’ve come to a place where I’m giving back in a way I never imagined [how it would involve] some of the things people gave me in my youth… exposing me to the power of art and what it can do. How theatre can be a mirror we hold up to society to let us see what we’re really doing. That’s what the Capri does, that’s what PCYC does. I see how we change lives as an organization every day.”

West’s belief goes hand-in-hand with Anne Long’s assertion: “We believe we have sort of a sacred trust to make sure the Capri is here for all the people. We want [the public] to know that they can use it and participate; [to know] that we don’t have barriers up to that.

“We try to keep the costs for our rentals as low as possible.” The huge addition of space, she em-

learn the technologies that are required for future generations,” said West.

“It’s 2,100 square feet of computers and hardware and laser printers. Best Buy operates an international cohort of these Teen Tech Centers. There’ll be five in the Twin Cities once we get ours open. That space will be open to any youth in the community [ages] 13 to 19…” The endeavor will ensure area youngsters aren’t lagging behind in access to technological understanding.

Should everything proceed according to plan, Plymouth Christian Youth Center will break ground come the fall. There will be a year of construction during which time the Capri Theater will pause operation, reopen in 2019, and the community can welcome it back — improvements included — with open arms.

Dwight Hobbes welcomes readers’ responses to P.O. Box 50357, Minneapolis, MN 55403

[l-r] James Scott, Anne Long, Janet Zahn, Kevin West

NorthsiDe Continued from page 1

residents, business people and others; an earlier information session was held Feb. 20 at NorthPoint.

“There is some anxiety around the project and the impact of the construction” on the area, Jackson pointed out.

“There were a lot of questions around the detours that are going to happen during construction on Penn, and more specific questions on how that may impact their property. It went really well.”

lished a C Line “construction hotline” (612-567-4101) — “We will be doing a weekly construction bulletin that will go out on Fridays, and you can subscribe to that on metrotransit.org,” she stated.

Svenkeson said that Thor’s new headquarters grand opening is planned for around the Fourth of July timeframe — “a key time for us to be talking about economic independence,” he pointed out. “Doing things like this [in North Minneapolis] shows it can be done in neighborhoods like Rondo and the east side of St. Paul, Frogtown and the west side, and South Minneapolis,” said the St. Paul native.

Finally, the renewal of the Penn-Plymouth corner comes after years of neglect. “We think it reinforces that we are assets in our community. We are changing vacant land… that avenue,” Jackson notes.

“I have been working hard” now we have economic ento ensure that local residents, gines in our community lifting regular travelers in the area, itself up,” Svenkeson concludbusiness folk and others are ed. “It is going to be an exciting regularly apprised of what’s time.” happening with the C Line Charles Hallman welcomes construction, Jackson surmised.

“We will be launching the ser- reader responses to challman@ vice in 2019. Most of the road spokesman-recorder.com construction work will be completed by the end of this year.

We will still be doing some work on the (C Line) stations into the first part of 2019.”

Metro Transit also has estabproject that still hasn’t been approved. “This (C Line) project is fully committed. We got to clarify that point,” she said.

Jackson also noted that there will be some impact due to road construction along Penn Avenue, such as traffic detours from Penn to adjacent streets such as Queen, Russell, Sheridan and Logan Avenues “during certain stages of the project” and this will impact the residents as a result, she points out.

After completion, “The benefit of this project” includes sidewalk replacement and improving pedestrian walkways along Penn Avenue, “and improving the bus service along

“This is a project being done by people of the community.”

“The investment by the county and Metro Transit into the C Line…is the backbone in how you create a long-term sustainable community,” Svenkeson contended. “We believe that mass transit is the driver for healthy communities” and not totally reliant on personal transportation, he points out.

“A lot of people knew about C Line” but thought it was about installing new Route 19 bus shelters, Jackson continued.

Also, some confused the project with a proposed light rail

Photo by Dwight Hobbes

Photo by Azhae’la Hanson

D.C. Continued from page 1

to help tell the story of her experience. Below is an excerpt from my (SB) conversation with Hanson (AH) about the journey.

SB: Why did you decide to go to the march?

AH: Gun violence isn’t something new. It is and has always been a part of urban communities in this country, including the Twin Cities. Thousands of lives have been ripped from America, unnoticed, and forgotten.

I am living in a place where our community is deemed unworthy of justice and redemption in the eyes of outsiders. The NRA and the government’s negligence is genocide on the American people. It is the nation’s duty to protect its children. But they have failed, and now we will protect ourselves.

SB: Was it a financial sacrifice to get there?

AH: Fortunately for myself and the group that I traveled with, the funds were raised by people in the community, so this experience was covered, and I traveled with no cost. Natalie Johnson Lee and Deb Loon Stumbras created a GoFundMe account to raise money to pay for the trip. Two mentors,

Arnise Roberson and Quinton Bonds helped organize the trip.

SB: What was the atmosphere like with all those other students there?

AH: If I could use one word, it would be “healing.” Our group marched with Protect Minnesota; we came from different areas of Minnesota, and we [met] each other for the very first time.

However, it was impossible to tell! We marched, screaming our hearts out: “Who are we? Minnesota!”

Our demands echoed as we entered the overall sea of protesters and we were loud. As the speakers went through their speeches, the crowd felt as one. The pain washed over us and turned into unbreakable unity. We cried, we laughed, we chanted, and we loved with complete strangers.

SB: You were inspired weren’t you?

AH: I physically felt the change.

My spirit was lifted in a way that it couldn’t possibly have been without this march. Before this trip, I felt like I was missing something, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. And then I marched, and I knew exactly what I was missing: hope. You cannot begin to grasp the power and the strength that America shouted with that day! We made history by saying “enough is enough,” a phrase that is so sim-

ple, and yet it shook the country.

SB: How did being there change you?

AH: I know now that I can make a difference, and I don’t need an adult to do it. I don’t need permission to do the things that are morally right. I plan to be more involved in my community.

SB: What was the one thing that stuck with you?

AH: The power of voting. I am 18 now, so I will be participating in the next election and will be following politics from now on.

Politicians shouldn’t take school safety and gun control lightly or the youth will vote them out.

Hanson is a member of Girls in Action mentorship program at her school. When she graduates, she plans to major in mass communication at Howard University. Visit MSRNewsOnline. com to see more from her first set of published photos of the March for Our Lives event in Washington, D.C. Sheletta Brundidge welcomes reader responses to shelettab@gmail. com.

lence,” said Wade.

But Wade said she is thankful for the organizing that culminated in Saturday’s event. “They Continued from page 1 did more than what most people in the Black community are doing,” she said.

When he was five years old, Jaylin Grasty, a sophomore at Washington Technology Magnet of the group is to end violence by spreading school in St. Paul, lost his father to gun violence. messages of Black love and peace in the He said he was at the protest because, “I feel like if I speak about how [gun violence] has impactcommunity. ed me, it will help change other people in a posIn 2016, Wade’s son was shot in the head. His itive way.” death compelled her to take action and create Grasty shared the same sentiment as Wade: Black Truce. “I saw March for Our Lives as a way He wished more people from their community, to keep gun control a hot topic,” Wade explained. specifically his school, would have shown up. “I As Black Truce marched to the capital they enfeel like they just don’t think it’s real when it acgaged in chants like “Black Truce on the loose” tually is.”

Grasty also surmised that many of [the and joined the larger crowds chanting, “The NRA students] don’t trust that lawmakers will make has got to go,” and “This is what democracy looks any significant change. like!”

LoCaL

“I feel like if I speak about how [gun violence] has impacted me, it will help change other people.”

At the Capitol steps, Democratic state leaders spoke and condemned the Republican-controlled state legislature for tabling bills that push for more gun control like universal background checks and the ban on the sale of assault weapons like AR-15’s.

Students and parents from MSD were in town for a hockey tournament and attended the rally.

Stephanie Horowitz, a freshman at MSD, spoke to the crowd about losing a friend during February’s shooting. Senior, Joey Zenobi, also paid tribute to a friend lost in the shooting and said, “Never again will anyone have to make a speech like this.”

Wade recognized that a lot of people at the Capitol on Saturday didn’t have to deal with the same type of gun violence in their communities as she does. “When this Moms Demand Action and Everytown — two organizations that support common-sense gun laws — are calmed down, and the legislature is closed, our communities are still going to have to deal with gun vio-

Community activist KG Wilson said he was at the march to unite with different people and communities. “I have the expertise to bring to the table; today there’s a lot of different tables out here,” he said.

However, Wilson explained that he was frustrated that it took 17 White people to die for this type of publicity and public outcry to take place when there is daily violence happening among the people in his community every day. “For the last 15 years, I’ve taken it upon myself to make sure that it’s publicized daily,” he said.

But both Wade and Wilson agreed that the overall goal of the march was bigger than race — it was about ending all gun violence, and making sure that children feel safe at school and on the street. As an adult and community leader “I have to be out here leading by example,” Wade said.

Keith Schubert welcomes reader response to kschubert@spokesman-recorder.com.

March 29 — April 4, 2018

Legals

Employment

State of Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333 ASSUMED NAME: PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS:

STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN

Gonfalon Digital Median 4136 31st Ave S Minneapolis MN 55406 USA NAMEHOLDER: Brandi S Phillips 4136 31st Ave S Minneapolis MN 55406 USA In whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath.

SIGNED BY: Brandi S Phillips EMAIL FOR OFFICIAL NOTICES: none provided DATED: 4/04/2018 11:59 PM Minnesota Spokesman Recorder March 22 & 29, 2018

State of Minnesota Case Type: Dissolution Without Children County of Hennepin District Court With Real Estate Fourth Judicial Court CASE NO: 27-FA-18-1414 ORDER FOR SERVICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS In Re the Marriage of: Kulah Dixon Jarry, Petitioner and Alfred Sakor Jarry, Respondent THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT: WARNING: YOUR SPOUSE (HUSBAND OR WIFE) HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST YOU FOR DISSOLUTION OF YOUR MARRIAGE. A COPY OF THE PAPERWORK REGARDING THE LAWSUIT IS SERVED ON YOU WITH THIS SUMMONS. THIS SUMMONS IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT FROM THE COURT THAT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS. READ THIS SUMMONS CAREFULLY. IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT, CONTACT AN ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ADVICE. 1. The Petitioner, (your spouse) has filed a lawsuit against you asking for dissolution of your marriage (divorce). A copy of the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is attached to this Summons. 2. You must serve upon Petitioner and file with the Court a written Answer to the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, and you must pay the required filing fee. Answer forms are available from the Family Law Facilitator Program, Family Court Self Help Center located in the Family Justice Center, 110 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401. You must serve your Answer upon Petitioner within thirty (30) days of the date you were served with this Summons, not counting the day of service. If you do not serve and file your Answer, the Court may give your spouse everything he or she is asking for in the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. 3. This proceeding involves, affects, or brings into question the real property located at the following address 8533 Cherokee Dr. N., Brooklyn Park in Hennepin County, State of Minnesota, with the following legal description: Lot 3, Block 4, Cherokee Highland Addition. n NOTICE OF TEMPORARY RESTRAINING PROVISIONS: Under Minnesota law, service of this summons makes the following requirements apply to both parties to the action, unless they are modified by the Court or the proceeding is dismissed: (1) Neither party may dispose of any assets except (A) for the necessities of life or for the necessary generation of income or preservation of assets, (B) by an agreement of the parties in writing, or (C) for retaining counsel to carry on or to contest this proceeding. (2) Neither party may harass the other party. (3) All currently available insurance coverage must be maintained and continued without change in coverage or beneficiary designation. (4) Parties to a marriage dissolution proceeding are encouraged to attempt alternative dispute resolution pursuant to Minnesota law.

Alternative dispute resolution includes mediation, arbitration and other processes as set forth in the district court rules. You may contact the Court Administrator about resources in your area. If you cannot pay for mediation or alternative dispute resolution, in some counties, assistance may be available to you through a nonprofit provider of a court program. If you are a victim of domestic abuse or threats as defined in Minnesota statutes, Chapter 518B, you are not required to try mediation and you will not be penalized by the Court in later proceedings.

IF YOU VIOLATE ANY OF THESE PROVISIONS, YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO SANCTIONS

BY THE COURT. Date: 03/05/2018 Signed: Kulah D. Jarry

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder March 15 , 22 & 29, 2018

In Re: Estate of Peter Kwaku Okyere, Deceased. a/k/a Peter Okyere and Peter K. Okyere

DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT PROBATE DIVISION Court File No.: 27-PA-PR-18-360

NOTICE OF INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS: Notice is hereby given that an application for informal appointment of personal representative has been filed with the Registrar herein. No will has been presented for probate. The application has been granted Notice is hereby given that the informal appointment of Kathy Pepal Okyere, whose address is: 9220 Zanzibar Lane N., Apt. 413, Maple Grove, MN 55311 as personal representative of the estate of the above-named decedent has been made. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal representative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative and the personal representative are empowered to fully administer the estate including, after 30 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate unless objections are filed with the Court (pursuant to Minn.

Stat. 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders.

Notice is also given that ALL CREDITORS having claims against said estate are required to present the same to said personal representative or to the Probate Court Administrator within four months after the date of this Notice or the claims will be barred Dated: March 27, 2018 ALONNA J. WARNS Registrar SARAH LINDAHL PFIEFER Deputy Court Administrator MN Spokesman-Recorder, March 29 & April 5, 2018

STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN In Re: Estate of Wayne W. Kalmetz, a/k/a Wayne Ward Kamletz,

DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT PROBATE DIVISION Court File No.: 27-PA-PR-18-360

Decedent

NOTICE OF INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS: Notice is given that an Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative was filed with the Registrar. No Will has been presented for probate. The Registrar accepted the application and appointed Leea Rosengren, whose address is 8271 Lake Drive, Lino Lakes, MN 55014, to serve as the personal representative of the Decedent’s estate.

Any heir or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal representative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative. Any objection to the appointment of the personal representative must be filed with the Court, and any properly filed objection will be heard by the Court after notice is provided to interested persons of the date of hearing on the objection.

Unless objections are filed, and unless the Court orders otherwise, the personal representative has the full power to administer the estate, including, after thirty (30) days from the issuance of letters of general administration, the power to sell, encumber, lease, or distribute any interest in real estate owned by the Decedent.

Notice is further given that, subject to Minn. Stat. § 524.3-801, all creditors having claims against the Decedent’s estate are required to present the claims to the personal representative or to the Court within four (4) months after the date of this notice or the claims will be barred.

Dated: March 26, 2018 Butts, Schneider and Butts, LLP ALONNA J. WARNS Spencer C. Butts MN# 392116 Probate Registrar 155 South Lake Street SARAH LINDAHL PFIEFER Forest Lake, MN 55025 Court Administrator Telephone: 651-464-6162 x7 Facsimile: 651-464-8180 e-mail: spencerbutts@lakesidelawyers.com ATTORNEY FOR Applicant/Personal Representative

MN Spokesman-Recorder, March 29 & April 5, 2018

ViEw Continued from page 10

was seen as the angry Black man to a White female reporter who was only doing her job.

More on that later.

Earlier that day, after her team fell to Dawn Staley’s higher-seeded team in defeat, a reporter asked Legette-Jack about the low number of such Black female coaches as she and Staley, the only two women of color with teams in the Sweet 16. “I have some really amazing colleagues that look like me,” the Buffalo coach responded. “I have so many friends that had an opportunity and they lose their opportunities…”

Legette-Jack knows this far too well: I covered her during her time at Indiana (200206). She always was gracious to speak to, whether after a victory or a defeat, and she had no qualms about speaking from the heart. But she got fired, and had to work hard to get a second chance to lead a program — such second chances aren’t often afforded to non-White coaches.

She recounted how current South Carolina assistant coach Jolette Law got canned at Illinois after five seasons in her first head coaching job, and Janelle Elliott got shown the door at Cincinnati earlier this month. “I’m saddened by it,” Legette-Jack said, bemoaning the double burden that she and other Black coaches, female or male must shoulder — win games and represent.

“I know that the majority of women basketball players look like me,” she continued. “I think that these young women, if we really care about them as people, that they will have role models that look like them.”

As her passionate response was given little airplay, the Hamilton-Jacobson encounter was endlessly looped on sports shows into the night. Sports fan Jennifer Runaas tweeted about

9

it and later emailed to me that the incident reminded her of the 2014 Richard Sherman/Erin Andrews post-Super Bowl interview.

“I have to question if race was the issue for this blowing up,” Runaas stated. “I have a unique perspective on race.

I am a 50-year-old White female…”

What hasn’t been discussed or asked: Why was Jacobson, a Michigan graduate, assigned to work a game that featured her alma mater in the first place? Would she have been that tough on the Wolverines’ coach if he had lost and his players didn’t foul? A possible conflict of interest here?

Rather Hamilton, another cultural conditioning victim, was found guilty in public opinion and sports talking heads court for speaking harshly to a White woman.

What we saw on the third weekend of March Madness was a disappointing race-related reality reinforced on the same day.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

SOE Continued from page 10

ensure that a process like this never happens again,” Alliance Chairman John Wooten told ESPN. “You can follow the rule and still not follow the spirit of the rule. That’s what’s happening,” former NFL head coach Tony Dungy told the MSR at Super Bowl media night in St. Paul.

Kevin Warren Photo by Onika Nicole Craven

Hence, why we call it the Rooney Ruse. Oakland got bold enough to do it so openly, probably knowing that the NFL wouldn’t do anything about it.

“You can go interview someone — if you are really trying to integrate — look

SOldiEr

Continued from page 2

and the upper classes are interested in who the designer might be.

For people in poverty, the most important time is the present. Decisions are made with daily survival in mind. In contrast, the middle class sees the future as most important and the wealthy emphasize tradition and history.

Similarly, for the poor language is about survival as opposed to the middle class who use language for negotiation and the upper class who see language as a tool for networking.

With regard to the acceptance of others, the rules are pretty simple for those living in poverty: “Do you like

and then make the best decision you can make,” continued Dungy. “That’s what you should be doing. You can’t legislate that.”

“We just have to continually make [diversity] a priority,” said Minnesota Vikings COO Kevin Warren, the highest ranking Black on any league team. “Diversity is important — gender, sexual orientation, race, religious [beliefs].

It’s important to the Vikings [and] the NFL to continually put diversity at the forefront.

When you do that, you get good things from it,” he said.

“We attract better people with diverse backgrounds,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell proclaimed during Super Bowl week.

If this indeed is true, then why didn’t the league come down on Oakland for their Gruden hire? They should lose a draft pick, be levied a heavy fine or both for sidestepping the Rooney Rule.

Rather teams keep doing the Rooney Ruse, treating the hiring process supposedly designed to improve diversity as an unnecessary ordeal in order to get to their White choice for coach or GM.

Case Administrator The U.S. District Court, District of MN is accepting applications for a full-time Case Administrator in Duluth, MN. Salary range is $40,464-$65,799. For more information visit the court’s website, www.mnd.uscourts.gov, Employment.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

TENANT OUTREACH COORDINATOR

LEGAL ASSISTANT & INVESTIGATOR

Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. For details go to: www.mylegalaid.org/jobs.

Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. For details go to: www.mylegalaid.org/jobs.

Photographer The Walker is seeking a talented Photographer who will be responsible for taking and making accessible high quality photographs of our collections, exhibits, research, and public events for a wide spectrum of uses, including books, magazines, newspapers, other publications, photographic archives, and the Web site. For more information visit: https://walkerart.org/jobs/photographer/.

Fitz Continued from page 10

once again team up to lead CFMF Benefit Weekend. On Friday, April 6, actress-songbird Paris Bennett (and her band) of The Wiz and American Idol fame will headline a dinner gala at the Minneapolis Event Center from 6-9 pm.

Popular comedic personality Shed-G will serve as emcee, and Vikings stars will also be on hand featuring a live silent auction with prized sports memorabilia, all to help raise money for the Fitzgerald men’s continuing mission of helping others. For tickets and table information, visit www.cfmf.eventbrite. com or call 612-770-4575.

The fun will continue Saturday, April 7 from 12:30-3:30 pm with the Carol Fitzgerald Celebration at Martin Luther King Center, 4055 Nicollet

Ave., in South Minneapolis.

The event will feature entertainment by KMOJ’s Chaz Millionaire, a luncheon buffet

by Fay’s Homestyle Catering, and an award ceremony recognizing excellence in HIV/ AIDS prevention, breast cancer awareness and urban Education.

Pro Bowl star Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. will hold an official autograph fundraising session to benefit the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund. $20 donation at the door.

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGY-AM 740 Monday and Friday at 9:10 am, and at www.

Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

that person?” The rules for acceptance in the middle class are “based largely on achievement,” and among the wealthy they are “related to social standing and connections.”

And for the poor, who generally have few possessions, people and relationships are the driving forces in their lives. While those are no doubt important to members of all social classes, middle-class rules tend to place a significant value on things such as houses and cars, while the hidden rules for the wealthy revere “one-of-akind objects, legacies, and pedigrees.”

Now, as I mentioned, the premise of Payne’s work is disparaged by some educators and scholars and championed by others. For Payne’s part, her hidden rules are primarily designed to help educators, parents and students navigate cultural differences and the world around them.

But again, what I would like to also emphasize is

that the hidden rules of class illustrate how low-income Americans often do more with less and are forced to make difficult household decisions that many of us could never conceive of. Perhaps economist Muhammad Yunus, who holds a Nobel Peace Prize, United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, and United States Congress Gold Medal, put it best when he said, “The fact that the poor are alive is clear proof of their ability.”

Clarence Hightower is the executive director of Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties.

Dr. Hightower holds a Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson State University. He welcomes reader responses to 450 Syndicate Street North, St. Paul, MN 55104

10

March 29 — April 4, 2018

The Wiz star Paris Bennett headlines 14th CFMF Benefit!

I

t’s a tradition like no other — the annual Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund Benefit!

It was just 15 years ago on April 10 that Carol Fitzgerald, the wife of columnist Larry Fitzgerald, passed away after a courageous battle with

Paris Bennett headlines this year’s CFMF gala Photo courtesy of Paris Bennett breast cancer.

Her two sons, Larry Jr. and Marcus were still in school, one in college and the other in high school. The Fitzgerald men teamed up and accepted the challenge to carry on

the family goals and fight for what was important to Carol.

In 2004, Larry started his foundation, the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund (CFMF).

The purpose was to raise money to help fight against breast cancer, and HIV/AIDS, and support urban education.

Both Larry Jr. and Marcus went on to graduate from high school and college, Larry Jr. from University of Phoenix and Marcus from Holy Angels and Marshall University.

Larry Jr., one of the NFL’s biggest stars now in his 14th season in the league, started his own foundation, the Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund.

Combined, the two organizations have raised over $3 million, and distributed the funds throughout the Twin Cities, Phoenix communities, and across the country to worthy nonprofit organizations with programs designed to fight breast cancer and HIV/AIDS and support urban education.

Larry Fitzgerald, now in his 40th year as one of the country’s most-respected sports journalist and fathers, is the only sports writer in history to cover his own son in a Super Bowl-XLIII. Larry Jr., a 10-year Pro Bowler and 2017 NFL Man of the Year, also captured the prestigious AT&T Pebble BeachPro-Am with PGA Pro Kevin Streelman in February of 2018.

The Fitzgerald men will ■ See Fitz on page 9

Media treatment of two Black coaches reflect color-coded reality

T

wo Black head coaches made news within hours of each other last weekend. One coach had to offer a mea culpa for their Charles post-game remarks, hallman while the other spoke passionately about a longstanding issue.

Leonard Hamilton (Florida State) and Felisha Legette-Jack (Buffalo) this year both led their respective squads to historic season runs.

Hamilton’s men’s team last Saturday fell a couple of baskets short of reaching the Final Four to Michigan in a defensive-minded, cold-shooting slugfest. Legette-Jack’s women’s team reached the Sweet 16 before they fell last Saturday to 2017 champion South

ANOTHER

VIEW

Carolina in a matchup of two teams led by Black women.

After the loss, CBS reporter Dana Jacobson asked Hamilton why his players didn’t foul with 10 seconds left and down four points, a second-guessing inquiry spearheaded by studio talking heads and on-site broadcasters. Hamilton responded, “Do you think that the game came down to the final seconds of the game?”

On the surface, Jacobson’s refreshing and often rare question actually wasn’t outof-line, but it was her follow-up question to Hamilton’s response that was too pushy — Florida State just minutes earlier walked off the floor in defeat and emotions were still very raw. “The game was over,” Hamilton asserted.

That stinging defeat should have been taken into account, but instead, Hamilton

Leonard Hamilton

■ See View on page 9

Courtesy Twitter/ Leonard Hamilton

Sports odds and ends

The Rooney Ruse — NFL pays lip service to diversity hiring The annual NFL league meetings that began Sunday are now over. Among the discussed topics were several playing rules, such as what is and isn’t a catch.

Executive Vice President Troy Vincent said on last week’s media conference call that he and other officials began meeting a week after the Super Bowl to hear proposals from teams. “We began a recap of the 2017 season,” he recalled. “There are four or five items that we recap, the obvious was catch-no catch…just

clarifying on how we officiate that.”

But nothing was expected to be done about how the Oakland Raiders seemingly got around the Rooney Rule in hiring Jon Gruden as head coach. Since 2003, the Rooney Rule has demanded that a Black candidate or other candidates of color must be interviewed for head coach and general manager vacancies.

After an investigation, the league cleared the team of the hiring process and stated that it would not face any discipline. Actually, only one club, Detroit, has been fined after the Lions publicly said they had no intention of interviewing anyone other than who they had in mind, a White coach. Green Bay later said something similar but wasn’t fined after they flew in and out a token candidate, and later admitted their sidestepping act.

So how was what Oakland did — telling the world that Gruden was their man mul-

Tony Dungy Photo by Charles Hallman

tiple times while holding a couple of token interviews — any different?

The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which first pushed for the Rooney Rule, called out the NFL for simply co-sign-

ing the Raiders’ action. “We believe the facts overwhelmingly point in the other direction. We have called for meetings with the League to ■ See SOe on page 9

‘Significant Six’ prep stars of the week PreP Scene Dr. mitChell Palmer mCDonalD

This week’s “Significant Six” features six players — Jaylen Suggs, JaVonni Bickham, Terry Lockett, Lorenzo Smith, Chet Holmgren and Prince Aligbe — helped Minnehaha Academy capture their second straight Class AA state boys basketball title last week with a 73-60 victory over Caledonia.

Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mcdeezy05@ gmail.com.

Sophomore guard Terry Lockett had 11 points in Minnehaha Academy’s championship victory.

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Eighth-grade guard Prince Aligbe grabbed 15 rebounds for the state champion Redhawks.

Sophomore guard Jalen Suggs led Minnehaha Academy with 27 points in the title game.

Senior forward JaVonni Bickham scored 17 points in the Redhawks’ championship game.

Freshman forward Chet Holmgren scored seven points and blocked three shots for Minnehaha Academy in the championship game.

Senior guard Lorenzo Smith’s flawless floor game contributed to the Redhawks’ title win.

All photos by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald